Flowers from Sri Lanka
by Brian Nisbet on June 23rd
In Sri Lanka flowers play a significant part of the culture. Pansal Mal (temple flowers) are offered at Buddhist temples. Around these temples are famous botanical gardens which show the flowers of Sri Lanka. The gardens stretch across a large part of the land and are a famous sight to see today. The film 'Bridge on the River Kwai' helped to advertise the beauty of the these gardens and the lovely flowers grown in Sri Lanka. The flowers are also used for their fragrance and perfume is a secondary source of income from the growth of these flowers.
The Pansal Mal is a popular flower within Sri Lanka as it has religious significance and it also comes in a variety of colours. Pansal Mal grows pure white, deep red, dark purple and also yellow. The yellow is significant as it is the colour of the Buddhist Monk robes.
This flower is not well known outside Sri Lanka therefore it is not exported in high volumes. The heart flower, purple orchid and frangipani are far more popular with global consumers. These flowers are rich in colour and have a good shape which means that they are popular with Western culture as they have little religious significance but make great gifts. These flowers are chosen as a luxury or quality flower as they are quite exotic and unusual in Europe. They do fit with the influence of Eastern culture which has influenced Western tastes suggesting they may prove more popular in the future.
While the Pansal Mal is not particularly popular outside Sri Lanka the purple orchid in particular continues to grow in popularity elsewhere.
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